They will spend their days in prosperity. (Ps. 25:13)
Do you want to prosper? It means to be successful, to flourish, to be wealthy, to be blessed. Everyone who plants a garden wants it to prosper. All who start a business hope it prospers. I want to prosper. Yet in some Christian circles, the word prosper has gotten a bad reputation. Images of “prosperity gospel” preachers come to mind, along with manipulative appeals for financial giving, dangled carrots, and broken dreams. Yet the Bible seems to indicate that God wants his people to prosper. So why the dissonance?
Perhaps we misunderstand the difference between a promise and a principle. David wrote that God guides those who fear him, and his ways lead to prosperity. This includes spiritual, physical, and social flourishing. This is a true principle. When we follow God’s ways of loving, our relationships will prosper. When we follow his principles of managing money, we’ll be on a sound footing economically. However, this guidance doesn’t work like a formula. Jesus never promised his followers that they would have easy lives or be rich. In fact, he promised them suffering. Doing the right thing doesn’t always lead to our personal gain. Remember Job? He was righteous yet faced horrific tragedy. We can follow God’s principles, which can lead to prosperous living, but we must also cling to the promises that he will never leave us or forsake us, even in hard times.
Write down three biblical promises that apply to you.
Jarod Osborne is lead pastor of Pathway [Wesleyan] Church, in Warsaw, Indiana. He is the author of Jaded Faith (WPH).
© 2023 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
